NEW REGULATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS OF REMOTELY PILOTED AIR SYSTEMS (RPAS) aka DRONES IN CANADA

What You Need to Know - updated March 6th, 2019

On January 9th 2019, Transport Canada announced the new Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) regulations which come into effect June 1st, 2019. This has been a culmination of over 8 years’ work, with input from both government and industry sources.

RPAS REGISTRATION

Anyone who plans to fly or operate an RPAS that weighs between 250 g and 25 kg, for recreation, work, or research, must register the RPAS with Transport Canada. Your RPAS will then be identified with a unique serial number which must be applied to its body for identification purposes. Failure to do so could result in fines exceeding one thousand dollars..

NEW CANADIAN AVIATION REGULATIONS (CARs)

These rules will now be found in Part Nine of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) and can be viewed on the Transport Canada website. Part Nine is a new section of the CARs which has been developed and established for governing the use of RPAS in Canada. Transport Canada considers a RPAS an aircraft, and the operator of this equipment is considered a pilot. Therefore, RPAS pilots are legitimate airspace users and are responsible for safe operations and airspace awareness..

WHY THE NEW RULES?

These rules have been put into place for safety reasons to protect other airspace users and the public on the ground. In Canada, commercial pilots are reporting close encounters with drones during flights on a daily basis. These occurrences are a result of ill-informed RPAS operators or just plain bad operators who have not taken the time or effort to learn what the rules are. Operating a drone within controlled airspace and within 5.6 km of an airport/aerodrome is prohibited unless you have the proper training and proper Transport Canada credentials to do so.

TRAINING, KNOWLEDGE, and EDUCATION

Threats to aviation and to the general public on the ground can be reduced and/or eliminated through education. It must begin with the retailer who sells the RPAS, but the responsibility is ultimately on the individual pilots who fly them. In Canada there are now over 50 organizations and companies that provide a RPAS ground school training. To be a compliant training program they must teach the knowledge requirement for RPAS operators in accordance with the Transport Canada document:

TP15263

“Knowledge Requirements for Pilots of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems 250 g up to and including 25 kg, Operating within Visual Line-of-Sight” (VLOS)

The TP15263 covers the comprehensive aviation-based material that is required by Transport Canada for each operator to know and comply with. Challenging the exam without study and preparation will, in most cases, result in a failed grade, waste of money, and frustration.
Under the current regulations, a ground school from an accredited training company is a mandatory requirement from Transport Canada to successfully obtain a certificate to fly a drone. On June 1st, 2019, the ground school will only be strongly recommended, therefore not mandatory.

Moving forward, as a legitimate operator flying a drone for professional purposes, it is strongly recommended to take ground school training to prepare for the exam. Most companies and government departments that are now operating drones professionally insist that their employees are properly trained and educated before they are permitted to fly.

RULES

If you are currently operating a drone for fun or work, the next step is to visit the Transport Canada web site and read through the rules and requirements about operating a drone. Determine which path you are going to take and then fly responsibly. Failure to do so, as mentioned earlier, can result in fines as well as jail time if the flight infraction is serious enough.